Bratislava Castle has become the setting for an exceptional cultural moment. A replica of the legendary Diamond Necklace – the most famous piece of jewelry of the eighteenth century, tied to the scandal that shook France on the eve of the Revolution – has been unveiled for the first time in Slovakia.
At the ceremonial opening of the new stage of the exhibition Marie Antoinette – From Vienna to Versailles and to the Guillotine, the necklace was introduced by Speaker of the National Council Richard Raši and Laurent Brunner, director of Versailles Spectacles. Diplomats from several countries attended the event, along with Archduke Markus Salvator Habsburg-Lothringen, a direct descendant of Maria Theresa. Created in the workshop of the Parisian jewelers Böhmer and Bassenge, the original necklace contained approximately 600–650 diamonds with a combined weight of nearly 3,000 carats. Today, its value would be estimated at 50 to 80 million euros.
The infamous Affair of the Necklace in 1785 unfolded without the knowledge or involvement of Marie Antoinette. The swindler Jeanne de La Motte deceived Cardinal Rohan using forged letters and a staged nighttime meeting, persuading him to obtain the necklace in the queen’s name. Jeanne later fled to London, dismantled the necklace, and sold the diamonds. Although the queen was innocent, the scandal gravely damaged her reputation.
The necklace, on loan from the Opéra Royal – Château de Versailles, arrived in Bratislava through the efforts of Beart Production SK and is being exhibited in Central Europe for the first time. Together with other newly added pieces, it expands a show that has become the most prestigious cultural event of 2025 and, due to enormous public interest, will continue through April 2026.
Richard Raši with Archduke Markus Habsburg-Lothringen and his wife, Hilde Habsburg-Lothringen.
Speaker of the National Council Richard Raši and Laurent Brunner, director of Château de Versailles Spectacles, cutting the ceremonial cake of media partner The Business Soirée.
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